A professor stood at the head of the class with a big glass jar. He put six big rocks in the jar with the rocks up to the edge and then asked his students, “Is the jar full?” They replied, “Yes.”
The professor told the students, “No, it’s not.” He then pulled out gravel and put it in the jar. He then asked, “Now is it full?” The students once again replied, “Yes.” The professor responded, “No, it’s not.” He reached down and pulled out sand, which he poured into the jar with the same responses. Then, he reached for a pitcher of water and poured it in, all the way to the brim. Then he asked, “Now is it full?” And the students replied, “Yes.”
The professor then asked, “OK, what did you learn from this?” One student responded, “No matter how many things you’ve got in the jar, there’s always room to put a little more in.” The professor told the class, “No, that’s not the lesson. The lesson is, if I didn’t put the big rocks in first, they would have never fit!”
Most Catholics may ask how this can apply to our own prayer lives. Essentially, every person must decide what the “big rocks” are in his or her life. And prayer should be one of those big rocks in the jar.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has told us stewardship is part of discipleship and is a way of responding to God’s call in every aspect of our lives. We refer to the three facets of stewardship as “Time, Talent and Treasure,” and when we consider the importance of these three Ts of stewardship, the “time” component comes first by design.
Stewardship spirituality is about trying to become more generous with our Time, Talent, and Treasure. And there’s a reason why “Time” is first. We need to take time to talk to God and take time to be quiet and seek to listen as He expresses His love for us and wants us to know His inspiration in our life.
There are many different forms of prayer. From weekly prayer such as the Mass, to daily personal prayer, such as a daily Rosary. Morning and night prayer are also important disciplines to maintain. Set aside a comfortable place
in your home where you can find silence. Focus on a spiritual image and take time to center yourself with Scripture or other spiritual reading.
For many, spending large portions of the day in silent prayer is not possible. But make it a priority to find moments of quiet throughout the day, and find ways to incorporate prayer amid your busy schedule. When you get into a vehicle, pray — before a meal, after a meal, if you’re faced with a tough decision. Just pray!
Just as in any human relationship, communication is a central aspect of a vibrant relationship with God. Prayer is fostering this communion of love with God. He loved us into existence, and He wants us to enter into a loving conversation with Him. We’ve got to talk to Him. And we must listen to Him. He will take care of everything if you just trust Him. He’s knocking at the door and waiting for us to open it in prayer.